Autosport’s top 10 club racing drivers of 2024

Yearly, dozens of drivers get pleasure from championship success throughout a wealth of various nationwide racing classes.

However a few of these title winners stand out greater than most. Whether or not it’s due to the standard of the opposition they’ve needed to defeat or due to their sheer variety of wins throughout the season, there are all the time additional particular performances worthy of explicit reward.

Right here, Autosport’s staff of membership racing reporters have picked out 10 of essentially the most spectacular drivers from this yr.

Perception: How club racing faced a tricky 2024

Entries by Paul Lawrence, Mark Libbeter, Mark Paulson, Marcus Pye and Steve Whitfield

10. Stephen Primett

CTCRC Pre-’83 Touring Vehicles (1st)

Primett secured one other title on the wheel of his Ford Escort Mk1

Picture by: Mick Walker

One other yr, one other title for Ford Escort Mk1 pilot Stephen Primett, who secured his twelfth Traditional Touring Automobile crown – his ninth prior to now 11 years. The Bedfordshire electrician noticed off the problem of Will Davison’s extra trendy BMW E30 in addition to Jonathan Corker’s nippy Datsun 510.

At all times immaculate, the Pinto-powered RS2000 wasn’t faultless however, when hassle struck, Primett nursed it dwelling for a 100% ending file and 10 class wins (together with seven general), in contrast with Corker’s 4.

9. Ben Brief

750MC MX-5 Cup (1st)

As soon as once more, nobody might get close to Brief in Mazdas

Picture by: Richard Types

Returning for a full-time marketing campaign after solely contesting three rounds in 2023, Ben Brief took his fifth MX-5 Cup title this yr in sometimes dominant fashion, sealing the crown with three races to spare regardless of the dropped scores format.

He simply missed out on matching his victory file from 2022 however nonetheless took a crushing 16 wins from 18 begins, with solely a qualifying mishap at Cadwell Park and final-corner contact at Silverstone denying him an opportunity to stay unbeaten all season.

8. Samuel Harrison

HSCC Historic FF2000 (1st)

Harrison needed to combat onerous to take the Historic FF2000 crown

Picture by: Richard Types

Samuel Harrison’s cost by the Historic System Ford 2000 area at Donington Park following engine failure in qualifying – with Benn Simms’s spare purchased, collected and fitted, he made the grid with seconds to spare – rattled rival Graham Fennymore.

Harrison’s lightning pace and imperious overtaking pressured the double champion to dig deeper, taking the combat to Silverstone’s finale. Nonetheless, Harrison’s steely focus in a chassis loaned by Adrian Reynard accomplished the Riponian’s title treble over three completely different classes in three years.

7. Aidan Hills

BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Supercup (1st)

Hills retained Mazda MX-5 Supercup title with seven wins on the bounce

Picture by: Steve Jones

Reigning Mazda MX-5 Supercup champion Aidan Hills hadn’t supposed to defend his title, as an alternative specializing in operating buyer automobiles alongside occasional outings and a proposed part-time TCR UK marketing campaign.

However, whereas Patrick Fletcher led the way in which within the first half of the season, taking seven wins from the opening 14 races, Hills stored himself in rivalry. When his deserved touring automobile commencement fell by, Hills refocused on MX-5s and stormed to seven consecutive wins and a profitable repeat of his crown.

6. Ben Timmons

BARC Caterham Seven 270R (1st)

Graduating up the Caterham ladder, one other title went the way in which of Timmons within the 270R division

Picture by: Mick Walker

After triumphing within the Caterham Roadsport class final season, Timmons adopted up his success by cantering to championship glory within the 270Rs in 2024. He received a formidable 11 races throughout the yr, together with eight on the trot within the center a part of the season, which additionally comprised hat-tricks at Silverstone and Cadwell Park.

He drove sensibly at Manufacturers Hatch to safe the three podium finishes he wanted to make sure of the title with a gathering nonetheless to spare in opposition to a packed area.

5. Joe Thompson

M7RC Mini Se7ens (1st)

Thompson lastly emulated his father and claimed the Mini Se7en title

Picture by: Gary Hawkins

After ending second or third within the championship 4 occasions, Joe Thompson lastly emulated his father Paul’s Mini Se7en success by taking the crown in his family-run automobile. Thompson hit his stride within the second half of the season, having cracked final yr’s rules tweak to carburettors, including six wins in 9 races to a solitary earlier triumph.

Maybe extra outstanding in such a intently contested class, except for one non-finish, Thompson solely completed exterior the highest two on three events.

4. Bradley Burns

BRSCC Audi TT Cup Racing (1st)

Burns used his years of expertise to grab the Audi TT Cup crown

Picture by: Gary Hawkins

As a TCR Germany podium finisher, it needs to be no shock to see Bradley Burns on the entrance of a membership class. However Burns now races just for enjoyable and didn’t compete in final yr’s inaugural non-championship season of the Audi TT Cup.

That put him on the again foot as Space Motorsport team-mate Carl Swift received the opening 4 bouts. A ragged Oulton Park outing left Burns with work to do, however a run of eight wins in 9 races in opposition to high quality opposition clinched the title.

3. Chris Lulham

MSVR Radical Cup UK (1st)

Sim racing team-mate of Max Verstappen, Lulham confirmed his tempo in the actual world

Picture by: JEP

Having conquered many digital races as a sim racing accomplice to a sure Max Verstappen, 21-year-old Lulham made the transition again to actual circuit racing look easy in 2024 as he dominated the SR3 Championship within the Radical Cup UK.

Perception: How Verstappen’s sim team-mate has found real-life racing success

Not solely did he file 16 wins from 18 races throughout his debut season within the class, however it was additionally the style of his victories, most notably these achieved in entrance of the TOCA viewers at Snetterton and Oulton Park, that demonstrated his expertise.

2. Max Edmundson

BRSCC Civic Cup (1st)

Edmundson impressively retained the Civic Cup title

Picture by: JEP

Decided to dispel any notion that others’ misfortune helped him to the 2023 Civic Cup title, Max Edmundson returned to strive for one more. He confronted a stacked area of drivers with glittering CVs, however solely a number of TCR champion and Space team-mate Josh Recordsdata might problem Edmundson, who received 9 of 17 races, topped 5 qualifying periods and by no means certified decrease than third.

Perception: The teen talent excelling on his Civic duty

And he didn’t simply win from the entrance – he twice claimed reversed-grid victories from row 5, executing completely judged overtaking strikes.

1. Andrew Hibberd

HSCC Historic System Junior & F3 (1st)

Three titles in three completely different automobiles earns Hibberd prime spot in 2024

Picture by: Ollie Learn

Although it took 20 years to lastly win a championship, Andrew Hibberd did it in fashion by bagging three titles utilizing three automobiles. Hibberd has all the time been a pacesetter, notably in System Junior, however dedication to buyer automobiles meant a full season was often inconceivable.

This yr, with father Mike doing much less racing, Hibberd sealed the Junior crown along with his two Lotuses and added the UK and European One-Litre Historic F3 titles within the ex-Chris Irwin Brabham BT18. It was a wonderful yr for the favored racer/preparer.

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